Little to None
by Left Eye Better
Summary: The Protectobots have arrived on Earth. After one miracle it appears they have survived. No one asked for a second miracle but perhaps it will be the one the Autobots need after they have already lost so much.
1. Chapter 1

Title/Prompt: Little to None

Writer: Left_eye_better

Rating: PG

Characters: Optimus, First Aid, and Ratchet

Summary: The Protectobots arrive in pieces, and thanks to First Aid's stubbornness they live. Prime and Ratchet realize exactly how stubborn Aid is and Prime wishes he could give more to his troops.

Prompt: Optimus Prime/First Aid – raising of/caring for hatchlings

Warning: Unbeta'd

Word Count: 1454

**Disclaimer**: _Transformers_ © Hasbro/Dreamworks.

Optimus sat on the storage unit turned chair in the hanger that qualified as a medbay on the island of Diego Garcia. His battlemask was retracted allowing him to rub one handed over his facial plates. Ratchet had explained the situation to the best of his knowledge and went back to sorting what First Aid had managed to drag back of his gestalt-brethen. Prime's hand had slid down resting somewhat cupping the lower half of his face. They'd have to wait till the young mech booted up to hear what end the other four had met.

The red and white mech lay before him. The youngling's helm was tipped back and his mask also withdrawn, one arm lay across the mech's midsection and the other beside the form allowing for a connection to a medical scanner. It seemed as though after the minimum repairs that were done that Ratchet had attempted to make his patient comfortable. The rest of the work needed the scans to complete it was too detailed, too dangerous to start meddling without them and for anything else… external plating and non-essentials could wait.

A beep sounded prompting Optimus to lift his helm and his optics to brighten. A steady beeping drew him forward to stand next to the junior medic turned patient. First Aid's fingers twitched one at a time as if testing their function and a static-laced groan was vocalized. The younger mech's optical band lit and the hand closest to his chest moved over the armor above his spark chamber.

"Should I get Ratchet?" The leader moved forward and gently set his hand on the mech's shoulder. First Aid didn't seem to hear him and the band's focus seemed to be somewhere in the rafters. The hand tightened on plating over the spark chamber.

Ratchet hearing his name from the other side of the hanger spoke up. "I'll come over there once he's fully online. He's out of the rough when it comes to survival if he has booted up. He Never did take planetfall well." Sparks caused from the grating of Cybertronian alloys bounced to the ground near the emergency green mech's pedes as he disengaged a battered arm from an equally battered torso of the remains of what they assumed to be the Protectobots that had been recovered from the crash site.

"B-…b-br-brothers…" First Aid's vocalizer grated out, bringing the Prime's optics back down. "Broth-thers," A flare raced across the optical band, and the detailed four-crawled hand scrapped against the metal of his chest plates. "With-th me. Kept th-them. Brought th-em."

"First Aid," Optimus bent slightly and placed a hand on the side of the Protectobot's helm. The mech didn't acknowledge the touch, or turn his visual focus to the initiator of it. "You did well. I am glad you received my call. If you must rest with your brothers you may. The Well is a peaceful place."

"Don't you talk him into passing you Slagger! I'll dismantle you myself!" Ratchet shouted from the quickly becoming junkyard, dropping the arm and cleaning his hands of the debris before heading to join the red and blue mech.

Finally awareness seemed to come to the red and white mech. "Prime." The brightest point of the band moved to the side to look at the much larger leader. The claws loosened their hold on the plating. "I brought th-them. Told th-them they couldn't leave me." In a jerky motion, that probably made known of some deep wiring issue, he moved his arm away from his chest not stopping it from sliding to the table beside him with a metallic snarl from the plating gnashing.

Optimus moved his hand from the side of the other's helm and he straightened marginally to allow the damaged mech room to complete whatever motion he appeared to be attempting. Plating hissed and moved shuddering in a glitched half-transformation to reveal the youngling's chest internals. Brightness spilled forth causing the Prime to readjust his optics to tolerate it. It wasn't long before Ratchet appeared beside him. They both stood transfixed by what was before them.

"Told th-them they couldn't leave me. C-can't leave me." Five sparks were tangled together in a knot that Ratchet was unsure could ever be straightened inside of the cramped and warped metal of First Aid's spark chamber. "I ache, but I-I won't let them go." The electric tendrils of the sparks arched and reached over the edge of their container. It was a beautiful yet writhing mass that were the souls of the youngling's team, all of them intact and testament to First Aid's stubbornness and medical ability.

"Aid shut your spark chamber. We need to sort this out and it will not occur while to bare yourself and your brothers to us." Ratchet spoke softly and his hands began to assist the younger mech fold the plating back in place.

First Aid's hand came up from the table trembling as it searched for something to hold. The Prime's hand met Aid's and clasped it. The junior medic looked to the two older mechs. "W-will they know me when th-they are recreated?"

Optimus nodded sagely and his thumb rubbed over one of white claws. "They will. Not as you know them, but they will still know you. They will need protection, and they will need you but they will not have forgotten of your need of them."

The youngling's frame seemed to relax as Optimus spoke. Ratchet shifted between them trying to gain access to the scanner once more as well and maneuver First Aid back to a more prone position. "I trust you, Optimus, sir." The junior medic's grip loosened on the Prime's hand as he complied with Ratchet's promptings.

"Go into recharge Aid. I need to see what sustaining your brothers is doing to your systems. You will probably need to be placed on partial life support to give the necessary fuel and support to negate the added stress." The CMO attempted to take charge and the red and white mech nodded. Soon his optical band faded as the well-behaved mech powered down.

"What is the likelihood you'll be able to rebuild them and leave First Aid's memory and abilities intact?" Optimus spoke as he set both his and youngling's hands down on the unconscious mech's chest.

"With the given supplies and our ability to fabricate necessary alloys and materials?" The green mech picked up the scanner and taking a cable from the side of it plugged it into his wrist. He didn't expect answer to his question nor did Optimus fully believe his CMO to be done speaking. "Little to None."

Silence fell harshly between them. The Prime's helm tilted forward. It was becoming more common to hear what little he could provide his people. Noise from outside trickled in through the poorly insulated walls. The revving of Sideswipe's engine, and the squealing of tires most likely the twins from the loud crash and cursing to follow. "Tell me what you can do."

"I will rebuild them. I will attempt to use their original build designs. They were some of the last that we siphoned from Vector Sigma before the All Sparks launch. I will have to substitute alloys for what our Human allies will be able to supply us. Data transfers of memories rarely succeed and in order to make them combine correctly First Aid will have to be rebuilt as well." Ratchet's optics paid close attention to his HUD and the small data screen on his wrist as he spoke. It was more out of habit than the medic choosing not to look at his leader. "Earth will be the only home they've ever known."

"It is our home now, our refuge, and it will be their sole focus to protect the inhabitants of this world as it was to protect those of Cybertron." Prime stood his full height and cycled air in a sigh-like manner. "We raised them once to have our virtues. This world is much more at peace. There are different challenges than before, but we will raise them. All of us." As Optimus paused to gather more of his words, another louder screech of rubber on asphalt and the sudden impact of a vehicle to the metal wall of the hanger than was the medbay interrupted him.

"All of us except the Twins, Sideswipe, Jolt and whoever else I deem unfit. Ironhide is potentially on that list as well." Ratchet moved to the dent section of wall and placing his pede against it bent it back into a closer to straight form.

Optimus chuckled, and let go of First Aid's hand to stand beside Ratchet. "I'll have that wall panel replaced."


	2. Chapter 2

Title/Prompt: Little to None

Writer: Left_eye_better

Rating: PG

Characters: Optimus, Protectobots, and Ratchet

Summary: The Protectobots have arrived on Earth. After one miracle it appears they have survived. No one asked for a second miracle but perhaps it will be the one the Autobots need after they have already lost so much.

Prompt: Optimus Prime/First Aid – raising of/caring for hatchlings

Warning: Unbeta'd

Word Count: 1795

**Disclaimer**: _Transformers_ © Hasbro/Dreamworks.

**Author Note: **Sorry for this chapter taking so long to produce. I wasn't sure for the longest time if I was going to continue this, but I have an idea where to take this perhaps for at least another couple chapters. I want to state at this point so I don't worry anyone; I don't plan on including any OCs, especially transformer OCs.

It seemed in a way fitting that the place the Protectobots would call home, the place were they would start their lives on the planet that would serve as their refuge, would be the city in which the death of their race was sealed. Mission city was chosen due to the citizens' previous exposure to Cybertronians. It was still common, for members of the Autobot force to visit the site of the AllSpark's destruction.

It affected all of them differently. At first the Prime had assumed it was his people reacting to the grief from the loss of something so significant to their kind. Ironhide became docile and humble, Sideswipe's engines seemed to lower to a respectful hum, Jolt's lively nature was not really curbed but he stayed close to his elders in a distance where their energy fields would blend at the edges and Bumblebee one of the temple keeps was reverent. The yellow painted mech had told his Prime once in the driveway of the Witwicky home that in his spark, his core that he could still hear the telltale whispers of their mother's power in that city.

AllSpark was an artifact, ancient, non-sentient that they could tell, and extremely powerful. Little was known about it, and to Optimus and the last crew of researchers allowed into the temple of Simfur there seemed to have been more questions than there had ever been answers in regards to the near silent creator of their kind. Upon one of his last visits to the temple Optimus remembered standing before the AllSpark with Cliffjumper beside him. He wondered if the mech still functioned, but did not dwell on the idea. There were too many of their kind missing to dwell on, the leader had to work for those that were counted for. Before the AllSpark he'd stood with his arms spread tempting the cube to make some sort of contact with him and feeling the warmth of its energy embracing him and filling him with a feeling he had to describe as contentment, acknowledgement of his progress since his creation.

Now was different. The Prime stood at the feet of the mighty Defensor his arms wide beckoning for the gestalt's cooperation. He had no want to allow the NEST or the Standard United States army to have to be deployed en masse to deal with the situation that had arose. "Defensor, Please stand down, and tell me the cause of your actions against the people of this city." The truckformer had only heard the human side of this tale. It had started small by the five mech team limiting human access to the area and had escalated to the gestalt combining to enforce the restriction and even in some places constructing barricades to prevent travel to the area they had deemed to dangerous for human occupation due to radiation.

Ratchet transformed beside him and placing his hands on his hips looked up at the singular mech. "I'd more like to know where his missing component is."

It hadn't been something the red and blue had processed initially, but sure to their medic's query the left arm of Defensor was suspiciously absent. The behemoth moved to a knee a held out his remaining three-clawed hand to their faction leader. Optimus put a hand on one of the claws to steady himself and stepped onto the open hand. A moment later he was lift to helm height. Defensor had always been one who for his immense size wished to speak with others so at least they were on the same level.

"Component First Aid has deemed the area too contaminated by AllSpark radiation to allow human habitation to continue. We, Defensor support our component's findings…" The optics of the gestalt seemed to fall out or focus briefly leaving the partner in their conversation to believe they were communicating with their disconnected member. "Component First Aid requires Chief Medical Officer Ratchet's presence and humbly requests yours as well Optimus Prime."

"That is fine Defensor, but we need to take care of the matter at hand first. I ask that you stand down, and at least until Ratchet has had a chance to review the finding that your Component has drawn to let the residents return to their businesses and homes." There was a tense moment of silence as the Prime and the Gestalt looked at one another, but the ever-dutiful gestalt eventually nodded and lowered the mech to the ground and letting his pieces disengage and scatter to the ground. It took a couple minutes for the four mechs to sort themselves out from their united being.

The green hummer joined the group looking over each one of them, holding himself back from running a scan. Ever since he rebuilt them he had been worried that something could go horribly wrong. While First Aid had pulled off a miracle Ratchet did not like the idea of relying on miracles alone.

"We are fine, Ratchet. First Aid does wish to meet with you though… He has a situation he would like to introduce to you and has asked me not to enlighten you till then." Hot Spot seemed to gain sense of himself first, the other seemed to still huddle around him as their center. The Protectobot leader looked to the Prime. "I'm sorry that my group has caused you this trouble, my Prime. It's only that we fear for the safety of the humans. Aid has a valid reason to be nervous about the effect of the residual radiation. Things still gain life in the death zone from time to time. We try to assist all of them we can but often times they have to be destroyed. I don't think Aid will ever forgive you for agreeing with the humans on that command Sir."

"I have conducted many scans of the area. I still detect radiation but not anything in a great enough amount to cause the humans any predicted effect." Ratchet pointed the field scanner on his arm at the ground collecting a reading once more.

Streetwise gently reached and set a hand on the older mech's scanner. "Creator, please do not discredit Aid so lightly. Wait till he tells you what we know." The mech's silver colored facial plates morphed into a sneaky smile that the medic had learned to associate with a secret that was something the other mech couldn't wait to get out.

Optimus and Ratchet looked to eachother. Ratchet rubbed his face with his hand in a motion that prompted the patrol car's smile to broaden. Clearing his vocalizer Prime spoke, "Hot Spot, I'll radio the humans on our agreement. Your gestalt has been nothing if not loyal in you service, which makes your concern for the humans all the more pressing. If you'd lead the way to your base, I'd like to hear First Aid's conclusion and rationale for this extreme of a measure."

Hot Spot nodded once more. "I assure you, Prime this was not something we did lightly." He turned to his group. "Protectobots return to base. Streetwise take up the rear and keep the News crews at bay."

The group of Autobots dropped down into their altmodes, their tires hitting the pavement one after another all besides the one flier among them. They made their way slowly through the barricades the Protectobots had erected to prevent human vehicles from entering the area easily. Ratchet kept a close watch on his scanner's reading as they got closer to the location where the AllSpark had been destroyed. He couldn't deny that the readings seemed to have changed since he'd initially taken them many years ago. It seemed as though the radiation had lowered in some places but concentrated in others and to closer they got the denser the seeming veins of power grew. They turned away from the epicenter to continue the route to the Protectobot base.

The base had originally been a newly constructed fire station, but in the attack on Mission city it had been severely damaged. The government had taken control of the building sometime after the battle and turned it into a base of operations due to its size and location to the heart of the destruction. Unsurprisingly in the Protectobots decision to close the area to their human allies the ones that worked with them at the base had been some of the first to be ushered out of the area.

Upon there arrival at the base a nervous First Aid greeted them from the switch that opened the bay doors to allow the mechs in. An altered medpack was strapped on his back. The sound of a small pump motor spurred on before turning off quickly. Ratchet looked at the cobbled device in confusion trying to determine its purpose finally spotting a hose that seemed to slither into the younger medic's side and from the slight glow it appeared to be delivering energon. The hummer approached the ambulance mech and without even attempting garner permission to run a scan his scanners locked on his apprentice.

Groove chuckled, until he caught a stern look from Hot Spot causing him to merely shrug in reply. They spoke silently over their gestaltbond, joking about their adoptive Creator's ability to notice the smallest defect and of their underlying worry the medic would repurpose their parts for not alerting him to First Aid's situation earlier.

A second scan was run and Ratchet and taken hold of the red and white mech's arms to be sure that the scan would not distorted by any movement. The older mech then scanned the ground. First Aid smiled gently behind his mask at the more knowledgeable mech's confusion. Ratchet looked at his optical band trying to determine if this was the Protectobot's version of a bad joke. Ratchet then looked to Optimus who was standing silently near to Hot Spot as if waiting Ratchet's determination of what the Protectobot's had dubbed First Aid's 'Situation.' The hummer leaned close to his apprentice. "First Aid, I do not wish to give our Prime false reports. Especially not on a matter of this magnitude. If you have anything to state to disprove my scans this is your one opportunity to admit any fallacies."

The younger mech shook his helm and leaned into his mentor slightly cracking his chest plates to allow the large mech to feel the abnormal heat from his internals for himself. "I'm carrying. The radiation from the AllSpark is great enough that constant interaction with it has cause me to Spark. Our Race it isn't dead, Creator." Both of the medics looked to their Prime. Neither of them was sure which should utter the words that would bring so much back to their leader.


End file.
